I've been on 11 Carnival cruises and always see first timers make these 10 mistakes, from buying drink packages to booking beach excursions

• I've been on more than 10 Carnival cruises in five years, and I consider them a home away from home.

• As a frequent Carnival cruiser, I've noticed first-timers repeating the same mistakes.

• From overpacking to buying drink packages, here are the mistakes I see on Carnival cruises.

I cruise on Carnival so often that its ships have come to feel like a home away from home.

I'm a frequent cruiser who has spent more than 100 weeks at sea on cruise lines such as Holland America, Norwegian, and Virgin Voyages.

But I keep going back to Carnival Cruises. I've sailed with Carnival more than 10 times in the past five years, and it's become my favorite choice for budget getaways.

I've cruised with Carnival to the Mexican Riviera and Caribbean out of ports in California, Florida, and Louisiana on smaller ships accommodating 2,600 passengers and larger ships accommodating up to 5,282 guests.

I'm planning on more cruises with Carnival this year. This summer, I'll sail with it to Alaska.

Each Carnival ship is a little different, but I think all sailings are consistently positive, and I come out of each cruise with new favorite things to do.

Yet each time I embark on a Carnival vacation, I see first-timers making the same mistakes that I think detract from the overall experience.

Here's what to watch out for so you can be a savvy sailor the next time you find yourself on board a Carnival ship.

On embarkation day, I notice that most cruisers head to the buffet for their first meal. But Carnival offers so many other free dining options with fewer crowds.

In my experience, many passengers board their Carnival cruise just before lunch.

After they check in and find their staterooms, I've found that most people head to the buffet for a bite to eat. While Carnival has a large buffet that can accommodate several hundred people, I think embarkation day can feel unwieldy because everyone seems to show up in the same venue at the same time.

That's why I love diverting to one of the other free dining venues, which have shorter lines on that first day.

And there are many restaurants to choose from that are included in the base cruise fare, no matter which ship you're on.

In addition to the main dining rooms and buffet, Carnival ships have a half dozen other places to eat on board that incur no extra charge.

The choices differ from ship to ship, but most include a walk-up pizzeria, a taco and burrito bar, and unique eateries like Shaq's Big Chicken and Guy's Burger Joint from the celebrity chef Guy Fieri.

Carnival also has specialty restaurants that charge extra for dinner but not lunch. Many cruisers don't know this and miss out.

In addition to the main dining room, buffet, and stand-alone venues, Carnival has even more complimentary dining that's easy to miss.

Many of Carnival's specialty restaurants charge an extra fee for dinner, but most first-timers don't know that lunch is included in their ticket price.

For example, the Italian spot Cucina Del Capitano charges $18 a person for dinner but offers a free modified lunch menu. JiJi Asian Kitchen similarly charges $18 a person for dinner but offers a free Mongolian-wok lunch.

Another one of my favorites, Fieri's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse, has an à la carte menu throughout the day that costs extra, but on sea days, it has a free outdoor-barbecue menu serving best-selling items like brisket, pork butt, and sausage, along with sides like mac and cheese and potato salad.

I think that many first-time passengers miss out on Carnival's adults-only Serenity Retreat, which is exclusive to cruisers age 21 and over and has no surcharge.

I admit I'm a little reluctant to share this tip because every time I've visited Carnival's Serenity Retreat, I'm surprised at how sparsely populated the relaxing space is.

I don't want to spoil the oasis-like feeling, but it's one of my favorite places to go on a Carnival ship, and I think you're missing out if you don't take advantage of it.

Serenity is an adults-only area that's nicely tucked away on an upper deck, away from foot traffic, so only those who want to find it do. I think it's a wonderful escape from daytime pool-deck parties and kids running around with melting ice-cream cones.

In my experience, many cruise lines charge extra for access to a similar adults-only space. The full-day rate for enjoying The Sanctuary on Princess Cruises is usually $40 a person, or $20 for a half day, according to Cruise Critic. Cruise Critic also says Norwegian's adults-only Vibe Beach Club, which has a private bar, a lounge space, and its own hot-tub area on a quiet part of the ship, can cost $100 a person for a day pass or about $209 for a weeklong pass.

So in my mind, there's no better value than having a free, adults-only space on Carnival.

The Serenity Retreat is available throughout the Carnival fleet. It's often two levels at the front of the ship and remains out of sight for the most part thanks to a privacy fence.

I think many guests may assume it has a cover charge or is available only to suite guests. That is not the case, and anyone over 21 can relax on loungers, sun beds, daybeds, and hammocks. I always find plenty of fresh towels and love to take a dip in one of the oversize spa tubs.

A light lunch of fresh fruit, salads, and wraps is usually available alongside a quiet bar area, where soft music plays in the background.

The pool and upper decks are always buzzing with activities, but there are many quiet spaces on Carnival ships that go overlooked.

I love a good pool-deck party with '80s music and dancing. I also appreciate having some relaxing quiet time away from the activities. And there are many places on Carnival, like the Serenity Retreat, where that can be found.

That's why I always reacquaint myself with the ship layout during my first day on board. As I stroll through each deck, I remind myself of the less-busy atrium bar, the quiet library stocked with paperback books, and, my favorite, the outer promenade deck. Available on most of Carnival's fleet, the promenade deck often wraps around the ship on the third or fourth deck, and it's where I like to take in the sunset or enjoy a cocktail.

The promenade deck isn't fancy. It's a wide-open space with chairs and loungers, but mostly it's a serene place to breathe the salty air and appreciate being on vacation. I look forward to returning to it again and again, and I've never seen this outdoor space packed with people on all my cruises on Carnival.

Many Carnival cruisers buy the drink package, but in my experience, it's not usually worth it.

From the time of booking right up until the sailing date, Carnival guests will receive friendly emails offering them a chance to save money by prepurchasing a drink package.

If you plan to drink a fair amount of alcohol, it can be a mistake not to buy the drink package before sailing, as Carnival offers a preboarding discount where guests can save 10% compared with buying the package once on board.